Check-controlled mechanism



Nov. 17, 1925.

A. H. DU GRENIER CHECK CONTROLLED MECHANISM Filed June 20. 1924 Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

A UNITED STATES PATENT '\oF.F1cE}.

ARTHUR H; DU GRENIER, 0F HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS,'ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HAROLD B. WOODS, OF HUDSON, MASSACHUSETTS.

cHncLcoNTRoLLED MECHANISM.

Application med :une 2o, 1924. saranno. 721,205.

To all wlw/m, it may concern Be it known that ARTHUR H. DU GRENIR, a citizen ofthe United States, and resident of Haverhill, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, has invented -an Improvement in Check-Controlled Mechanism,`of Whichvthefollowing is a specifica-l tion. v

This invention relates to certain improvements in mechanism used in connection with vending machines for testing the coins or checks which are inserted therein, so' as to prevent the operation of the machine to deliver the goods in case the coin or check which was inserteddoes not conform in cer- .tain 'physical characteristics.

In the present instance the invention re. lates to a mechanism which is more particularly desi ned to exclude checks'which are likely to e placed in the machine in lieu of ay cent.VVT

The exclusion of checks which exceed a standard diameter or thickness is usually accomplished at the check entrance, so that vit is principally important to provide mechanism for excluding checks which are under size, and I have ascertained from experience that the checks which are likely to beI placed in machines of this character, `in lieu of standard cents, and are insertabletherein, are of slightly less diameter than the standard diameter of the cent. means for testing the diameter of the check which is inserted are provided which are extremely accurate, so that a. variation of less than a thousandth of an inch is 'def tected, the result will be that, as a rule, comparatively few checks will be found in the coin receptacle, after it has been in opera-- tion for a period, which are not genuine coins. Consequently, while it is also desirable under some conditions to test the Also, that ifv erin the check, by inserting a slightl ymuti-- late or over-size check, unless specia means for positively removing it from the recess is rovided.

he objects of my present invention are, pr1mari1y,.to rovide a mechanism of the type above re erred to which will exclude and return to the purchaser checks which are of only slightly less diameter than the standard diameter of the coin to be inserted, whlch will act positively to remove a slightly oversize or mutilated check from the carrier and which will exclude a check of half standard thickness or two checks together, the combined thickness of which is equal to standard. Also t0 provide a mechanism which is of simple construction, so that it may be manufactured at moderate cost, and 1 which may be adjusted without diiiiculty.

f I accomplish these objects in the manner hereinafter described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of my invention is shown and in whichz- Fig. l is a. front elevation of the outer casinof the apparatus.

1g. 2 1s a rearelevation of the check carrier with the check measuring mechanism removed.` v

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the entire mechanism.

Figs. 4; and 5 are positionviews of the check carrier.

Fig. 6 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the check measuring means.

Figs. 7and 8 are sectional views at lines and 1f-y, respectively ofFig. 3.

Fig. 9 isa detail sectional view at line z-z of Fig. 3.

l In practice, the entire check handling mechanism is mounted on a front plate l, which is ,attached'to the vending machine in connection with which the apparatus is used, and an operating shaft 2, having a handle 3 on its front end,`is provided, said shaft also lhaving a crank arm 4 on its rear end for actuatin the bending mechanism when rotated. spring 5 is coiled about the shaft 2 and is engaged with the arm 4 at one end and with the casing at the other, and acts to return the parts to 'initial position after they'havebeen actuated. A' partition plate Gis attached to therear .side of the casing and acts to close the rear side of the coin entrance slot 1a in the front plate. A check carrier 8, which consists of a suitably shaped iat disk of the same thickness as that of the checks to be placed therein,- is mounted on the shaft 2 between the front plate l and the partition 6, said carrier being provided with va semi-circularly shaped, peripherally disposed check-receiving recess 8a which, in the initial position of said carrier, is held 1n register with the check-entrance slot of the front plate, as shown in Fig. 2.

' A locking lever 10 is pivotally mounted on the partition 6 by means of a pivot' l2 lolli carier is rotated to an intermediate position carried thereby coincides with the radial line in which the checks will still be held thereby, 4unless the lever 10 is moved from said position, the pin 15 will .engage said lever in said recess 10a and lock said carrier against further operative movement. A measuring lever 16 is also mounted on a pivot 18 in the partition 6 atthe right of the check entrance, said pivot being located in said lever 16 near'one end thereof, so that it has relatively long and short arms, the long arm thereof being provided with a pivot 20 at the end which'is located in a slot in the end portion of the shortarm of lever 10, so that a form of compound lever is provided. The short armof lever 16 is provided with a transverse lug 16, which is extended at right angles thereto over the edge of the carrier 8, and a check-engaging screw 22 is mounted in saidlug in position to engage.

thevrim or edge of a check held in the recess 8a of said carrier when a diameter of a cheek from the axis of shaft 2 -to ltheend of the screw. A lock nut 23 is preferably provided on said screw 22 and the` latter is made of hardened steel and has a pointed or conical ratus is designed and. adjusted to receive is placed in the recess 8n of the cariaier and the handle 3 is turned to the right, thecheck will be carried in the plane of.` the carrier tow-ards the screw 22. The movement of the compound levers 1 0 and 16 by the spring 14 is arrested by the engagement of the lug 16 with the edge of the partition 6, over which it extends, in which osition the lever 10 will be held with its en in the path of movement of the pin 15, and the screw 22 is so adjusted in the lug 16a that when the carrier is in the position in which the radial line to screw 22 bisects the bottom of the coin recess 8a. The distance from the middle of said bottom to the tip of the screw is slightly less than the diameter of the standard c eck,

so that the 'screw will be enagaged by they rim of the check a short distance before a diameter of the check is carried into coincidence with the radial line from the axis of the shaft 2 to the pointed end of the screw.

22, so that, during the remainder of the movement of the check to 'this radial position, it will push outward said screw and the arm of lever 16 which supports it, caus- I ing the long arm of lever 10 to be swung outward or downward, and, if the screw 22 is properly adjusted and the cheek which was inserted is of standard diameter, the extent to which said lever 10 will be swung will carry it out of. the path of the pin 15, so that the movement of the carrier may be continued and the vending machine to which it is attached will be operated.` The pivot 12 of the lever 10 is so located that the end l of the lever is swung somewhat. in thedirection-in which the pin 15 is moving and the inner edge of the lever 10 is curved nearly concentrically with the path of movement of said pin, so that the movement of said lever out of intereepting position does not begin until the pin has almost engaged the end of the lever, and then this proximity continues until the movement laterally of this path is sufficient to permit the pin tobe carried over the end portion of the' lever close to its upper edge, so that by the time the check is pushed past the radial position, and no longer holds the lever 10 out of intercepting position, the pin 15 will prevent vthe levers from returning to their normal movement of the end of the lever l0, so that a difference of movement of lessthan a thousandth of an inch of the screw will be 4suiicient to move the end of the lever 10 from a position in which it intercepts the pin 15 and locks the meehanisniagainst' further operatlon movement, toa position in which the pin will be permitted to pass and.

unlock vthe mechanism: In other words, if.

the diameter of the check which is inserted is only very slightly less than the standard diameter, the mechanism cannot -be operated to deliver' the goods, and` on release of the handle 2 the carrier will return the check to the position it was in when first inserted, so that it may be recovered.

The particular lever arrangement above described is of special advantage in the connection shown. It is of vital importance that any variations in diameter of the checks be amplified to the greatest extent prac- It is also necessary to provide an intercepting means which is very strong and capable of-withstanding blows of considerable force,

for the reason that when a purchaser finds that the check does not unlock the carrier he is liable to try and force the carrier past the lock. With the arrangement Shown the pin l5 may be made suiliciently strong to withstand all blows to which it is likely to be subjected and the lever 10 which it engages may likewise be made sufficiently heavy for thelpurpose and wide enough at the end which is engaged to withstand the severe blows to which it is likely to be subjected, and to prevent the pin from passing the end of said lever unless the latter is swung laterally through a considerable distance. The space 4available for the location of the locking means is practically limited to the space within the casing which encloses the check carrier and by pivoting the levers 10 and 16 adjacent the rim of the carrier and extending them in proximity t o said rim the space available for said levers is effectively utilized, and a maximum motion of the locking portion is secured for a slight movement of the check engaging means. Y

To prevent operation of the machine by two thin disks or checks of standard diameter, but of half the standard thickness, one half 8 of the bottom of the recess 8 is recessed to a slightly greater depth than the other half and the screw 22 is located slightly to one side of the middle of the position in which' the standard check is held, as shown in Fig. 6, so if two thin disks are placed in the machine only one will be engagedby the end of screw 22 and this one will not be supported in the same relation'v thereto as the other on account of the recessed bottom of the recess 8, and as a result the lever l() will not be moved out of locking position, as shown in Fig. 5.

The partition 6 is provided with a assage 24 through which the check is to e discharged into a coin receptacle near the end of the operation. The check recess 8l is of a size that a standard coin fits closely therein, so that if a coin has been mutilated so as to increase its diameter slightly, or if a check of slightly greater diameter than the standard 'is forced into said recess, it is likely to become wedged therein, and will not f all therefrom by gravity, through'opening 24 under such conditions unlessV positively acting means is provided for removing the check from the carrier, when the check is carried to the position where it should be discharged therefrom, it will remain in the recessv 8l and be returned to the vendee, after the goods had been delivered, so that it would be possible t0 operate the machine indenitely with the same check. To prevent such an occurrence, a pointed tinger or dog 25 is provided, which ,is pivotally mounted on the partition 6 at the edge of the passage 24 in position to extend through said passage and rest on the back side oi' the carrier against which it is held by a spring 26. The carrier is provided with a 4slot 8, which opens to the recess 81 and the front plate or casing is provided with a recess l on its rear side in position to receive the pointed end of the dog'25.

, With this arrangement, as the l carrier moves towards the position in which it is to deliver the check, the pointed end of dog 25 will be swung through the-slot 8 and into the recess l, so that, as the movement is continued the lcheck will becarried into engagement with the inclined surface provided by the edge of the dog 25 and will thus be deflected inward and dislodgedy from the carrier recess 8a, so that it will be free to pass through the passage 24, as indicated in Fig. 9. With this arrangement it will thus be impossible to operate the apparatus to deliver the goods, without delivering the check to the money receptacle.

A spring actuated dog 2'( is mounted on the casing in position to engage ratchet teeth 8d on the carrier to prevent return movement 'of the carrier before the delivery movement is completed. A washer intercepter is also provided which comprises a pivoted spring actuated pawl 28, the end of which is arranged to rest on the surface of .the check as the check is carried past the pawl, so that, if there should be a hole in the middle portion of the check. the end portion of the pawlwill enter the hole, and thereby prevent further operative movement of the carrier.

Withthe above described construction means are provided whereby the check is' accurately tested as to diameter and 'will not permit operation of the apparatus to deliver the goods unless the-check is of full standard size, also means permitting ready and accurate adjustment Vto the standard diameter is provided, and means whereby a.V thin disk of standardv diameter will be returned without permitting operation of the machine. The construction is simple and durable and is well adapted to withstand the abuse, as well as the ordinary use, to which an un rotected vending machine is likely to be su jected.

I claim:

1. In a check-controlled mechanism, a check-carrier comprising a rotatably mountf ed disk having an abutment and a peripheral check-receiving recess and operatively movable, to carry a check therein from a receivin to a delivering position, a locking. lever aving means for normally holdin one arm thereof in position to be engage said path and to be moved therefrom by theA check to move said locking lever out of locking posit-ion.`

2. In a check controlled mechanism, a check carrier movable between checkreceiving and delivering positions and consisting of a rotatably mounted disk of a thickness t equal to the standard thickness of the check and having an abutment and a check receiving recess opening inwardly from the rim, one side portion of said recess being of greater depth than the otherv side portion to permit a check of less thickness'than the standard to be supported on the bottom of the portion of greater depth, a'lockingv device normally disposed in position to'be engaged by sald abutment to obstruct operative movement of the carrier beyond a point intermediate said positions, actuating means for said locking devicehaving check engaging means arranged to project normally into the path of movement of thecheck at the outer periphery thereof, in the plane of movement of the deeper portion of said recess and at one side ofthe plane of movement of the other portion thereof, said engaging means being positioned with rela` tion to the bottom of the portion of the recess of less depth, to move said locking device out of obstructin position as the check engaging means ,is orced outward by a l check of standard dimensions.

3. 'In a check controlled'me'chanism, a disk-shaped check carrier having a lateral projection adjacent its rim and a check receiving recess in its rim portion, said carrier being movable about a central axis to carry a check .in said recess from areceiving to a delivering position, a locking lever having a long and a relatively short arm and means to hold the same with the end portionof its long arm in position to be engaged by said projection to lock the carrier against operative movement between its receiving and discharging position, a measuring lever having a long arm engaged with the short arm of said locking lever and a relatively short arin having an end portion thereof normally extending into the path of movement of the check as it'is carried in said recess in position to be engaged by the rim of the check at points diametrically opposite the bottom of said recess, said levers being extended continuously with each other adjacent-the rim of the carrier throughout the lengths thereof in position to permit the long arm of said locking lever to be swung to one side of the path of movement of said projection.

4. In a check-controlled mechanism, a check-carrier comprising a rotatably mounted disk having an abutment and a peripheral check-receiving recess and operatively movable to carr a check therein from a receiving to a de kivering position, a lever pivotally mounted at one side of said carrier to swing in parallel relation thereto and having a long and a relatively'short arm, means normally disposed in position to be engaged by said abutment to lock said carrier againstl operative movement at a pointintermediate said positions, said means being movable by said long arm to an inoperative position upon normal actuation of said lever, said short arm having a portion thereof extending transversely of the outer periphery of the path of movement, of the check when carried by said carrier and an adjusting screw threadedin its said arm portion in radial relation to the carrier and having its inner end portion normally projecting into said path in position to be moved therefromv by engagement with the rim of the check when carried past the same and cause normal actuation of said lever.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR H. DU GRENIER. 

